5th Annual TEDxWilmington Conference to feature 38 speakers

Speakers from 14 states and four countries will take the TEDxWilmington stage on Wednesday, Aug. 24 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the World Café Live at the Queen in downtown Wilmington as part of the 5th annual TEDx conference.

Speakers were chosen after a rigorous application process, which demanded, via written essay and video audition, they demonstrate that their topic was an “idea worth spreading.”

“Our team was tasked with reviewing more than 100 applications for the 5th Annual TEDxWilmington Conference,” said Ajit Mathew George, founder and organizer of TEDxWilmington. “This year’s line up is very exciting, with an inspiring 12-year-old boy who is paying it forward, a young man who became a successful entrepreneur through dogged persistence and financial support from Sir Richard Branson, a United States Senator, uniquely creative performance artists and a slate of subject matter experts who will present new and unexpected perspectives on pressing issues of the day.”

Some highlighted topics include:

• “From Pawns to Kings: Chess Champions of Murder Town USA,” by Walter Durant
• “Sex Trafficking in the US: Young Lives, Insane Profit,” by Yolanda Schlabach
• “How to Graduate from College Debt-Free!” by Cornelius “Nippy” Betz, III
• “Performance Anxiety-It’s Not Just for Men,” by Claudia Six, Ph.D
• “Why Would Any Rational Person Run for Congress?” by U.S. Senator Chris Coons
• “Wealth Prejudice: How it Affects Us,” by Myra Salzer
• “Sniffing Out Cancer: The Making of a Groundbreaking Documentary About Early Cancer Detection,” by Pina DeRosa and Adrian LaCorte
• “9 Nos to One Yes: How Not Quitting My Dreams Changed My Life to Help Change Others,” by Allington Creque
• “Building the World’s First Vertical Farming City,” by Jack Griffin
• “The Era of Corporate Social Responsibility is Ending: Why That’s a Good Thing,” by Rachel Hutchisson

Continental breakfast, lunch (gluten free and vegetarian options will be available) and refreshments are included in the ticket price of $100. Spectators can come and leave as they wish if they cannot come for the whole day. To view the bios of each of the speakers or to purchase tickets, go to http://www.tedxwilmington.com/2016-tedx-conference.

George was granted the TEDx license in the fall of 2011. Between 2012 and 2015, TEDxWilmington has showcased 94 speakers who gave TEDx talks that have had over half a million views.